EU asks Google to delay new privacy policy

The European Union's data protection authorities wrote a letter [text, PDF] to Google Thursday asking it to delay implementation of its new privacy policy, which is supposed to take effect March 1. The EU is concerned the privacy policy, which will combine various policies of more than 60 of its products into one, may be in violation of EU laws. Google released details of its new privacy policy [corporate website] last week, saying it will make it easier to share user information between different products, as well as enhancing search engine capabilities. Google also claims the policy will be simpler and easier for users to read and understand. Although the EU has not pinpointed which areas of the policy it is concerned with, it would like a chance to investigate the terms before they take effect. Google responded to the letter in statements Friday, stating that it had already briefed data protection agencies on the new policy and giving no indication that it plans to delay implementation.

Google responded Wednesday to concerns [JURIST report] of US Congressmen about the new policy as well. It responded to 11 questions posed in a letter sent by the Congressmen [JURIST report] last week. Some topics of concern addressed by Google included assurance that no new types of data will be collected, reasons supporting data-sharing between Google products and an explanation of how data can be deleted by users once their accounts are closed. It also assured that it will comply with conditions of its 2011 settlement with the FTC [JURIST report], in which Google was charged with breach of consumer privacy rights and misleading consumers during the launch of Google Buzz, a social networking site.

About Paper Chase

Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible format.